Top Trail Coaches on Transitioning to Trails

Training adjustments for road runners preparing for trail racing

Training: Train to adapt to every part of the race (terrain, temperature, pace, fluid and fuel intake).

Mindset: Research the specific details of the event. (For example: length, weather, topography, aid station locations, course markings.) Research leads to preparation, which leads to proper training and a positive mindset going into competition.

Tactics: Research past race results and split times between checkpoints. Know what a realistic split time is for you considering total race distance. Knowledge of the course is the foundation of race tactics.

The specifically developed physiology of the individual athlete will determine the success at different distances whether you run roads or trail. Assuming that the eye/foot coordination necessary for running technical trails is adept, an elite road runner who specializes in the 10K to half marathon will have little trouble with that kind of trail race distance. An elite road runner logging high mileage will also do well at the marathon and 50K trail distances.

Most serious road racers have developed a fast neural muscular cadence or leg turnover which can be an advantage in trail racing. The transition to trail racing is also easier for the road racer who has experience with hilly courses.

I usually use a three-week cycle with two really hard stimulus days spaced about 10 days apart. During a macro cycle, I will generally train runners with 60 percent on dirt roads or nontechnical trails, 10 percent technical trail, 10 percent roads, 20 percent track.

GARY LEPISTO

Road to Trail Adjustments:

Training: Train on the trails, but keep some road running in for anaerobic and speed development. Train by time and effort and not by miles. You will never run as many miles on the trails as you do on the roads.

Mindset: Your road PRs don't mean anything on the trails.

Tactics: If you expect to win, you must know the course.

Skills: Always spend some time working on your weaknesses. Climbing and descending are big ones on the trails. Descending skills are what most road runners need the most work at.

Bombing down steep singletrack trails found on some courses can be scary and downright dangerous, but it's a skill you'll need to acquire to be competitive.

We train using a Lydiard-based program and run for time and effort, not mileage. We run four phases: Base, Hills, PH Intervals and Taper. An example of PH Phase for road and trail is below. PH Intervals have to be between 30 and 90 seconds long with a rest interval long enough to allow your heart rate to drop below 120. This keeps blood PH low but does not allow the runner to fully recover on the rest. You continue this interval/rest process until the athlete's pace gets drastically slower or recovery time begins increasing dramatically. The idea is to keep running intervals at a consistent pace until you can't hold that pace anymore. You want to pace yourself so you can do about 25–30 400-meters before this happens.